gen·tile ˈjen-ˌtī(-ə)l 
plural gentiles
1
often Gentile : a person of a non-Jewish nation or of non-Jewish faith
especially : a Christian as distinguished from a Jew
3
often Gentile : one who is not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
1
often Gentile
a
: of or relating to the nations at large as distinguished from the Jews
also : of or relating to Christians as distinguished from the Jews
b
: of or relating to people who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
2
: pagan
3
[borrowed from Latin gentīlis] : relating to a tribe or clan
Examples of gentile in a Sentence
Noun a strict sect that believes that fellowship with gentiles should exist only for the purposes of conversion
Recent Examples on the Web
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026 Gentile and the story coaxed from Elene nearly two decades ago remain at the center of the investigation and accounts for much of Kelly’s the book. —Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2025 For instance, in between Avi’s 2004 plane ride that starts the episode’s main arc and its last-second flash-forward to 2022, the premiere revels in the rapid wordplay of a gentile girlfriend meeting a vibrant Jewish family and the general tomfoolery of a jubilant bar mitzvah. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gentile
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
From there, the beef between the two couples runs the gamut from faux-gentile to downright nasty. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Apr. 2026 Gentile and the story coaxed from Elene nearly two decades ago remain at the center of the investigation and accounts for much of Kelly’s the book. —Edmund H. Mahony, Hartford Courant, 22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Nobody Wants This was really cute — there’s some stereotypical stuff that felt a little cliché on both the Jewish and gentile sides, but the casting was perfect, especially Justine Lupe and Timothy Simons in the supporting parts. —HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2025 For instance, in between Avi’s 2004 plane ride that starts the episode’s main arc and its last-second flash-forward to 2022, the premiere revels in the rapid wordplay of a gentile girlfriend meeting a vibrant Jewish family and the general tomfoolery of a jubilant bar mitzvah. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gentile
Cite this Entry
“Gentile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/gentile. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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